BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Sorry, but I didn't see this really answered in the FAQ on the site. Do you guys use uvb lighting in the cages? What is the general consensus on this topic? Thanks for all that answer, I know I am a newbie with these guys so try and bear with me.

There really isn't a consensus. Some people do and some people don't. As long as you are using the light properly, there is absolutely no harm in it. I, personally, do not and Coomassie is happy and healthy. Others use it and swear by it. I will say that if you choose NOT to provide UV light, you should definitely supplement with D3 enriched calcium. I'm sure others will weigh in as well.

This is a quote from Jeff on a previous thread:
I don't want to get into another UVB debate, but I will do my best to convey the results of a fairly long term study done by one extremely respected person in the BTS community. This breeder kept one group of skinks (#1) away from any UVB exposure and supplemented their diet with calcium that included D3. Another group (#2) was kept with UVB lighting, but given calcium that did not include vitaminD3. The third group (#3) was given both UVB lighting and calcium that included D3. The results were as follows: Group #1 - No health issues at all. Extremely healthy skinks that bred very well. Group #2 - Some of these skinks seemed normal, and others began developing the first signs of MBD. The breeding rates were much lower. Even the skinks that appeared healthy had smaller litters, and the babies were not as hardy. Group #3 - These skinks were all healthy and showed no signs of any health issues. They bred well with large healthy litters. This evidence is of course not ultimately conclusive, but it does support the theory that artificialUVB lighting may not be totally effective for the calcium needs of BTS. It is important to note that this study was done a number of years ago, before mercury vapor bulbs were available. The best bulbs available at the time were used, but they were not MVB. I don't know if that is very useful to you or not, but personally, I would supplement with a calcium that included D3 regardless of whether or not you provide UVB lighting.

Don't ever feel bad for asking questions! That's what this site is here for. Even if it is covered in the FAQ, if you're unsure or have additional questions please post them, that is just meant to be a helpful reference, not to answer / eliminate new questions.

This came up in a recent topic that has some good answers: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=20336

UVB hasn't been proven required for BTS, but because they are diurnal lizards lots of people offer it to be safe. Lots of other people just supplement with Calcium + D3 and have great results. So it is kind of a personal preference thing.

In my opinion, it has been proven that UVB lighting is NOT necessary in order to keep healthy BTS. The only way you can deny that is to call the people who have been doing it for decades liars. As mentioned before, there is no harm done by using UVB lighting as directed by the manufacturer (with the exception of some of the older "coil" type UVB bulbs).

I don't worry at all about whether or not other people choose to provide their BTS with UVB lighting. It's a personal decision that everyone has the right to make for themselves. The only problem I see with it is that it can create a false sense of security. Unfortunately, some of the UVB bulbs on the market provide very little UVB. None of them really come close to natural sunlight. Even if I did provide my skinks with UVB, I would still supplement with calcium that includes D3. I believe that this is the BEST way (other than living outside in the natural sunlight) to get calcium to your skink in a useful form. If you choose to NOT supplement with calcium and D3 because you provide UVB lighting, it is likely that you will have issues down the road if you keep your BTS long enough.

I use a 10.0 UVB light as well as supplementing with calcium w/ D-3 around 1-2 times a week and a few regular calcium supplement drops with almost every meal. I let mine bask in the sun as much as temperatures and weather allow as well.

Thank you for all the replies. I think there is definitely a wealth of knowledge on this site, which is nice to see.